Sky News announces new daytime Kay Burley Show and other schedule changes in bid to give channel 'more personality'

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Sky News has announced a shake-up of its daytime and early evening schedule designed to give the channel “more personality” and give viewers more appointment-to-view shows.

News anchor Kay Burley will host a new show covering breaking news alongside her own perspective on the day’s stories with interviews, “quirky offbeat” stories and “spiky” opinion and debate, Sky News said today.

The Kay Burley Show will air Monday to Thursday from 2pm to 5pm. Burley currently hosts Sky News from 3pm to 6.30pm.

Burley has been with Sky News since its launch almost 30 years ago and was named broadcast journalist of the year by the London Press Club earlier this year. She said on Twitter she was “absolutely thrilled” by the changes.

She described her new show as a “daily, three-hour, live programme where we’ll challenge the status quo with hard-hitting, in-depth interviews and examine the stories behind the headlines, reflecting the views of everyone across the UK”.

In other changes at Sky News, US correspondent Mark Austin will return from the Washington bureau after a year to present The News Hour at 5pm each weekday, ahead of a “new look” Six O’Clock News.

The News Hour will round up the day’s stories with recap and analysis from Sky News correspondents and interviews with “key players” in the news agenda.

Austin, a former ITV News anchor, tweeted that “the best news outfit in Britain has agreed to tolerate me a little longer”.

“But what they want is more appointment-to-view shows. Kay and Mark are experienced news presenters, each with their own ‘take’ on the day’s stories.

“Embedding them more firmly in our schedule gives us a chance to give Sky News more personality and more editorial heft at a time when being a trusted news brand has never been more important.”

All Out Politics from Westminster will remain in the 10am slot after Sunrise, while the News at Ten and the Press Review will continue to wrap up the day.

Alongside the schedule changes, a number of correspondents are joining Sky News this autumn to “bolster” its specialist reporting.

Rowland Manthorpe has left Wired magazine to become Sky News technology correspondent, while previously announced changes include Jason Farrell becoming the channel’s first home editor, Nick Martin taking on a new role to report on politics outside Westminster and Kate McCann joining the political team.

Jonathan Levy, Sky News director of newsgathering, said: “The appointment of these great reporters not only boosts our specialist journalism, but is also a strong signal of how Sky News is in better shape than ever.

“Our future looks bright and it’s great we’re attracting top talent from across the industry.”

Beth Rigby, Sky News deputy political editor, has featured before in “news” about Kay Burley fronting “Sky News” activities.

So she appeared again on Monday, the day of the launch your story is about.

Within a few seconds, shown on the SKY NEWS clock as 1351 Hrs UK and 1352 Hrs UK time (1251 and 1252 GMT) on Monday, the DAY SKY NEWS LAUNCHED the “revamped” “Kay Burley Show”, COINCIDENTALLY from Liverpool the location of the UK Labour Party Conference 2018, Kay Burley looked away from Beth Rigby who looked engaged in talking with Kay Burley, to looking as if she was DIRECTING Beth Rigby towards something other than what the thread of Beth Rigby’s comment was!

Beth Rigby looks surprised (in the footage) at the rapid pace of change of look and action!

She was interrupted mid sEntence when she was summarising the impact of the John McDonnell speech
As well as the other significant announcements.

Kay Burley LOOKED as if she was pulling Beth Rigby to “come here”, almost like a primary school child being shown the place…

There was NOTHING in that piece which had to have the “revamped” title for the contents.

And a Political reporter is not best viewed or heard when they are being dragged around, interrupted and
Generally treated as an exhibit for the viewers.

Although Beth Rigby has been relatively new (compared to Kay Burley) to Sky News viewers, she comes across with more substance of what she talks about than Kay Burley has done, to my knowledge.

So what its the point SKY NEWS are trying too make with their superlative promotion of the “Kay Burley Show”?